Sierra County advocate. [volume] (Kingston, N.M.) 1884-1960, 1887-05-13
a TURKISH PALACE.
Charming and Elegant Decoration
A beautiful Bath Room.

A Beautiful Bath Room.
Our American minister kindly obtain
ed "lirman' from the government to
allow party of us to visit the palaces.
treasury, etc. writes n Constantinople
correspondent of The San francisco
Chronicle He also gave us the use OF
his steam launch and sent his cavass
and ajd-de-camp of the sulitsn's to
guide and quart us properly. We met
in the early morning in front of tho
largest palace on the Bosporus, "Dolma
Batche, - and entered by the water
gate. 1t opens ints.a garden. not very
large. and consisting mostly of shrub
berry But we had seen gardens before.
and not palaces, SO we hurried on to
ascend the marble steps After little
vestibule, we found ourselves at once
in large reception-room. The high
" polished floors of different woods
were as smooth as glass. and strips of
Turkish carpets were laid for us to walk
upon Many apparently strong mar
bic pillars supported the lofty ceiling.
Marble, we thought, but upon examina'
tion. we found them to be only the
best of imitation The walls. too. had
disgns in the same material. Each cor
ner was ornamcnted with candlestitcks
of about thirty candles. with cut-glass
reilectors that showed forth bril-
liant lights. All the rest of the room
seemed grand in its emptiness. on 1t
are small recepton-rooms, whose walls
are hung with fine paintings and tapes
try work One wall is entirely taken
up with picture of pilgrimage to
Mecca Each detail il wonderfully
brought out and we can imagine our
selves in the country there represented,
riding one of those large camels, or in
the train of worshipers following some
notable's carriage Beautiful tables
of inaid work and mosaics are in these
rooms; indeed everything is the perfec-
ton of elegance From the large cen
trail hall laid those renowned stairs
whose balustrades are of glass, and
whose flights wind around each other
in so graceful manner Looking up, as
we near the top, we see room brilliant
again with the retlectors of numerous
candles This is very similar to the
large room below it, but of from 1t the
rooms are larger and furnished as par
lors or drawing-rooms.
We were surprised to find no bed
rooms, but it seems that the Turks be
leve in getting along without all that
furniture, and so they simply have their
bedding brought in and placed upon
a divan for the night The more intel
ligent people are getting now to use
bedsteads, and probably when the sultar
I occupied this palace they were used
but now, since it is shown to the pub
lie, the effect is supposed to be bcttol
without them. OF course, these rooms
appear much alike, yet all differ in the
richness OF the silken hangings, heavy
curtains, and handsomely upholstered
chairs and dvans Many OF the fire
places are of the most exquisite marble,
and some are even of glass. Yet more
wonderful in workmanship are th'
mosaics. flowers matched so perfectly
as to look like natural ones, and figures
as to appear like natural ones, and iig-
ures so plain as to appear ike hn'
paintings We passed through long
corridor containing over one hundred
oil paintings, most of them represent
ing battle scenes landscapes, and ami
mails, and some of them are quite fine
This long hall leads into the harem
but that we were not permitted 10 en-
ter, and were guided up a short nigh
OF stairs into the sutan's room. I'm
is richer than any other in its furnish
ings and opens into what was once :
conservatory that overlooked the who'll
garden. 1t is now entirely uncared 70
and looks desolate enough, From
here was visited the thorneroom. tina
must be the entire width of the build
ing and the whole height AS well. Th
dome seems so far. far up; and how
the figures in the paintings stood on
as they looked down upon us. From
every part of that large room It looke'
the same. AT one end is Il space 10
the throne. that is placed there onl.
when needed The room is seldom
used except on certain fete days or 4
receive some noted visitor VIVA
wealth is displayed in the heavy silve
candlesticks that stand fully ten fee
from the floor They are solid, an'
their peculiar tinge shows the purity o
the material.
Not far from In room is the gem q
all bathrooms for il is Of pure Egyp
tian aiabastcr. The walls and ceiling
are beautifully carved, while the Hoo
and basins seemed the purer for thei
simplicity As the sun shone through
the skvIght and showed the pin
transparency of the stone, II seeme'
like 4 precious stone indeed. We Wis
tied more drawing g-roOms. and NIGH
have continued TO do so for hours, br
orr cude hurried us on,